China's emerging artistic swimming talents lit up the FINA World Cup Super Final in Xi'an on Friday, bagging three golds and one silver in a dazzling display.
The home team, featuring four reigning Paris Olympic champions alongside promising young athletes, delivered a performance inspired by the acclaimed video game "Black Myth: Wukong." Blending Chinese mythology with world-class techniques, their routine – echoing the grandeur of the Qin Dynasty – scored 277.2258 points and left the audience in awe! 😍
Head coach Zhang Xiaohuan highlighted the strong cultural vibe of the performance, while veteran swimmer Chang Hao acknowledged that the team is in a transition phase. "We've shown significant improvement after months of intensive training," he noted, even as they continue fine-tuning their coordination.
In another highlight, the teenage duet Xu Huiyan and Lin Yanjun stunned the crowd with a "Moon Shadow Dancer" themed routine in the women's duet technical event, scoring 289.6150 points and edging Japan's duo. Xu, who also clinched the women's solo technical title, remains determined to perfect her synchronization further. ✨
On the men's side, 17-year-old Guo Muye earned a silver in the solo technical, narrowly trailing Mexican Diego Villalobos Carrillo. Despite the pressure of competing on home soil, his performance signals great potential for the future.
With the Super Final set to continue on Saturday across four more disciplines, expect more thrilling moments from the world of artistic swimming. Stay tuned for more updates!
Reference(s):
Team China dominate 1st day of Artistic Swimming World Cup Super Final
cgtn.com
